Saturday, 16 May 2015

“Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like the violin.” - John LubbockJohann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France.Bach’s compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and over three hundred sacred cantatas of which nearly two hundred survive. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth.Bach was born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach, into a great musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, was the director of the town musicians, and all of his uncles were professional musicians. His father probably taught him to play the violin and harpsichord, and his brother, Johann Christoph Bach, taught him the clavichord and exposed him to much contemporary music.Apparently at his own initiative, Bach attended St. Michael’s School in Lüneburg for two years. After graduating he held several musical posts across Germany: He served as Kapellmeister (director of music) to Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, Cantor of the Thomasschule in Leipzig, and Royal Court Composer to Augustus III.Bach’s health and vision declined in 1749, and he died on 28 July 1750. Modern historians believe that his death was caused by a combination of stroke and pneumonia. Bach’s abilities as an organist were respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.Here are his violin concertos, played by Elizabeth Wallfisch, Pavlo Beznosiuk and Catherine Mackintosh accompanied by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.1. Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041

Friday, 15 May 2015

“Eating vegetarian doesn't
mean you have to eat boring, humdrum dishes.” - Marcus SamuelssonThe following recipe is for
what has often been called the “national dish of Greece” – “Fasoladha” (Φασολάδα). It is a tasty and nutritious vegetarian meal that in the
past was one of the staples of the traditional Mediterranean diet. It is low in
fat, has no cholesterol, is full of fibre, vitamins and minerals and is rich in
plant proteins. As well as that it is tasty and wholesome.TRADITIONAL
GREEK BEAN SOUPIngredients

500 g dried white beans

4-5 large carrots, cut in
round slices, 1 cm thick

3-4 tender celery sticks
(with their leaves), chopped up

250 g white onions chopped
up

3 litres vegetable stock

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoonful dried
mustard

1 bay leaf

salt, pepper to taste

Method

Soak beans overnight in two
litres of water. The next morning rinse well and drain.

Heat the olive oil in a
large saucepan and add the chopped onions until they are golden brown.

Add the drained beans and
stir thoroughly, cooking for 3-4 minutes.

Add the 2 litres of the
vegetable stock, stir and put the cover on the saucepan, leaving a gap for the
steam to escape. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about half an hour.

Add the carrots, celery,
mustard powder, bay leaf and the remaining 1 litre of stock. Continue cooking
for another hour.

Keep an eye on the beans
during cooking, ensuring there is adequate liquid in the pan. Add warm water as
it is needed, but keep in mind the consistency in the end should be of a thick,
glutinous soup.

Towards the end of the
cooking stir every 5 minutes, 4-5 times.

Add the salt and pepper to
taste. Taste the beans to ensure they are tender and melt in the mouth. If more
cooking is needed, add some water and continue to cook.

Thursday, 14 May 2015

“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink.” Proverbs 25:21 – King James Bible
On my way home after work yesterday, I stopped by the supermarket to get some groceries. While there, I saw a couple of employees getting rid of items from the shelves. I was curious as it appeared that they were trashing them. I stopped and asked, and sure enough, the items were being thrown out as they had reached their ‘use-by’ date. I enquired whether the food was going to be taken to the tip or whether it would be given to be used somewhere – I don’t know where, but it seemed an awful waste to throw it out. They did not know for certain, but one of them thought the food would be taken to the tip.
I looked this up on the web and found a useful Government site from which I quote: “Manufacturers err on the side of caution: Manufacturers usually choose a ‘best before’ date well before the time when the food would be expected to deteriorate and spoil. A conservative ‘best before’ date is designed to encourage you to eat the product while it is fresh and at its best, so you should consider ‘best before’ dates as a guide only. Frozen and canned products, in particular, tend to keep their quality for some time after the ‘best before’ date has expired. Within reason, provided the food looks and smells as you would expect, it should be safe to eat, even if the ‘best before’ date has passed.”
Hence my thoughts about the food being donated to charity and used immediately, being a good idea. I presume it is cheaper for the supermarket to dispose of the food rather than organise pick-ups or deliveries, etc. There is always the threatening spectre of costly law-suits, also, I guess. It just seems a terrible waste, especially when people are going hungry every night.
This experience inspired the word of Thesaurus Thursday, which is cornucopia, seemingly apt for the excess and variety of goods available in our supermarkets this day and age…cornucopia |ˌkôrn(y)əˈkōpēə| noun

a symbol of plenty consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn.

• an ornamental container shaped like such a horn.

• an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind: The festival offers a cornucopia of pleasures.DERIVATIVES

cornucopian |ˈkɔrn(j)əˌkoʊpiən| adjectiveORIGIN early 16th cent: From late Latin, from Latin cornucopiae ‘horn of plenty’ (a mythical horn able to provide whatever is desired).
The Cornucopia, which symbolises abundance, is usually seen as a curved goat’s horn, filled to overflowing with fruit and grain, but which could be filled with whatever the owner wished. Often nowadays the horn has been replaced by a horn-shaped basket, especially in ornamental table pieces or decorative tableaux. The Cornucopia has always been associated with Thanksgiving in the United States, though it was a symbol long before this holiday existed. Man has always been thankful for the abundance provided by Nature.
The Cornucopia originally came from ancient Greek mythology (Κέρας της Αμάλθειας – Amalthea’s horn) and the term is carried on today with a similar meaning. The oldest account of the origin of the Cornucopia tells that Zeus was committed by his mother Rhea to the care of the daughters of Melisseus, a Cretan king. Amalthea, one of the nurses, hung Zeus in a cradle from a tree, so that he could be found neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in the sea. They fed the infant deity with the milk of a goat. While the infant Zeus was playing with the goat, he broke off one of the horns of the goat and gave it to his nurses, endowing it with the wonderful power of becoming filled with whatever the possessor might wish.
So the ‘Horn of Amalthea’ became the symbol of plenty, and whoever had it in his or her possession would never starve. The horn of plenty was regarded as the symbol of inexhaustible riches and plenty and became the attribute of several immortals. Another story tells about the fifth labour of Hercules. Hercules fought the river-god Achelous, who could take the form of either a snake or bull. Achelous failed to defeat Hercules as a snake and changed into a bull. Hercules ripped his horn off and diverted the river. This land became very fertile, and is a reference to the horn of plenty. Then the Naiads took the horn, consecrated it, and filled it with fragrant flowers. In the Roman version it was the Goddess Abundantia (Abundance) who adopted the horn and called it “Cornucopia”.Some useful links regarding donating food to charity:Australia:Make Poverty History

Wednesday, 13 May 2015

“The fishermen
know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never
found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” - Vincent Van Gogh
Sumana from
Poets United is prompting participating poets this week with the word “waves”. Here is my
offering:

The Waves

The wind blows
cold and sharp,

The leaves are
raised in russet waves

Only to fall
again in watery graves,

Circling, lost
in Autumn’s maelstrom.

The sea is grey
and green and dark,

The frothy
spumes of angry waves

Dash on the
shore and enter rocky caves

Interred in
Winter’s frigid embrace.

The woman stands
on highest cliff

And with a
trembling hand she waves

A white
kerchief; and sheds a tear that laves

Her ice-cold
cheek, as ship departs.

The pain it
gnaws and feeds and multiplies

Deep in her
heart, in throbbing waves

And in her
troubled mind abruptly staves;

Such seas may
claim so many souls…

The ship bobs up
and down, tosses to and fro,

It falls in
troughs and rides on crests of waves,

Each sailor
holds fast a single thought that saves:

The white
kerchief waving on the distant shore

And the sweet
hand that holds it tight and waves.

The illustration is a painting by Montague Dawson, “A Ship
in Stormy Sea”.

Tuesday, 12 May 2015

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” - Marcel ProustLast week we had friends visiting us from interstate and while they were here we drove out to the northeast of Melbourne to the Yarra Valley. It is about 60 km from the City centre and is situated amongst low hills. The Yarra River flows through the valley to make its way to the City centre. Several picturesque small towns are found in this valley, amongst many vineyards and prime sheep and cattle country. Lilydale, Yea, Yarra Glen and Healesville are all thriving communities and prime tourist attractions.Numerous wineries have made themselves famous in this location, some very old ones as well as many new. We drove to Yarra Glen, a small town full of charm on the banks of the Yarra and made our way to Domaine Chandon, a winery owned by the motherhouse of Môet et Chandon in France. This establishment produces sparkling wine that is as good as (or better I say!) than the champagne produced by Môet in France. They have a restaurant and wine tasting room onsite where one may enjoy the local wine and food while viewing the vineyards outside and towards the horizon the lovely blue hills. Autumn colours dotted the landscape, and fortunately we had a glorious, fine, warm and mellow day.We then proceeded to Yering Station Winery, one of my favourite wineries there and enjoyed the hospitality of their restaurant. Having had lunch washed down by some excellent Australian wine, we proceeded to Healesville, whose claim to fame is an Australian animal wildlife sanctuary. This is another tourist destination where one may see Australian animals in their natural habitat: Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, possums, platypuses, emus, cassowaries, pelicans, brolgas, eagles, ibises, cockatoos, rosellas, galahs, kookaburras and many more.We enjoyed a cup of excellent coffee in an old-fashioned bakery and sampled some of the traditional sweets: Caramel slices, chocolate mousse slices, chocolate hedgehogs, coconut slices, apple and blueberry pies and chocolate éclairs. The day was concluded by a visit to a few shops selling old wares and antiques, and the drive back was pleasant with lots of music and laughter. Needless to say that the day was enjoyed very much by everyone…

Sunday, 10 May 2015

“Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense, but
the past perfect!” - Owens Lee Pomeroy

When I was a young boy, I remember every Saturday afternoon on TV there
was a program called “Epic Theatre”. I used to love watching it as it featured
films from the 50s and 60s that were invariably bad, but sensational and full
of adventure and were mostly of the spaghetti epic kind. You know the ones I
mean, a pastiche of mythology and history, adventure, lots of fighting,
liberally sprinkled with cheesy romance, and an ending where the good and the
brave triumphed. Steve Reeves (Mr Universe 1950) often starred in these and he
created the role of Hercules in the “epic matinee film” of 1958 “The Labours of Hercules”.
Many dreadful sequels followed.But I mean what kid can resist publicity like: “See the seductive Amazons lure men to voluptuous revels and violent
deaths! SEE the heroic Hercules rip down the Age of Orgy’s lavish palace of
lustful pleasure! SEE the Mightiest of Men fight the Mightiest of Beasts, the
killer Cretan Bull! SEE Hercules fight off the savage love-starved Amazon
women! SEE the seductive Amazons lure men to voluptuous revels and violent
deaths! SEE the powerful Hercules crush the savage ape-men who guard the shrine
of the Golden Fleece!” This is great stuff, boys’ own adventures, glop
dished out in huge servings, with that soupçon of sexual innuendo to make it
attractive…Many films of the same ilk were around that time, including
“Hercules and the Queen of Sheba”; “The Trojan Horse”; “Jason and the
Argonauts”, “The Last Days of Pompeii”; “The Son of Spartacus”; “Operation Atlantis”;
“Atlantis the Lost Continent”; “Samson and Delilah”, etc, etc… Occasionally
some films of a slightly higher calibre were shown, the USA-produced epics of
biblical kind: “The Egyptian”; “Quo Vadis”; “The Ten Commandments”; “Ben Hur”;
“The Bible”, etc.There seems to be a revival of the sword and sandal genre in the
last few years with releases of “Alexander”,
“Troy”,
“Gladiator”,
“The Passion of the Christ”,
“The Lost Legion” and
the controversial “300”,
and its sequel, “300: Rise of an Empire”.
These last two film reminded me of the film I had seen as a child in Epic
Theatre. It is Rudolph Maté’s “The 300Spartans” and starred Richard Egan as King Leonidas of Sparta. Well I found it and we watched
it yesterday.I must say it brought back a few nostalgic memories. Sure, it was a
little cheesy and paintedwith the
“epic” brush, but also I found myself examining it critically and seeing that
it was firstly quite accurate historically speaking. It is largely the story of
Leonidas, the Spartan king and general who led his army in the battle of
Thermopylae against the Persian king Xerxes I, in 480 B.C. Leonidas managed to
delay the Persian hordes for two days with only 300 men. Ephialtes, a
Thessalian man, betrayed the Greeks and showed the Persians another way to
invade in order to attack Leonidas’ men from the rear of the narrow pass of
Thermopylae that the Greeks were guarding. Leonidas sent some of his army to
safety, and died fighting the Persians together with 700 volunteers.The film has some good acting (for the time and genre, and remember
after all, this was a B-grade movie), a delightful score by Greek composer
Manos Hadjidakis and appearances by some well-known Greek actors of the time
(Anna Synodinou, Michalis Nikolinakos, Yorgos Moutsios, Dimos Starenios, Anna
Raftopoulou). The scenery is magnificent and the battle scenes quite
convincing. David Farrar makes for a good Xerxes and Sir Ralph Richardson a
believable Themistocles.For a good review of the film, see:

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Welcome to Nicholas V's Blog on Blogger

I have been blogging daily on this platform for several years now. It is surprising that I have persisted as the world is changing and "microblogging" is now the norm. I blog to amuse myself, make comment on current affairs, externalise some of my creativity, keep notes on things that interest me, learn something new and to surprise myself with things that I discover about this wonderful, and sometimes crazy, world we live in.

I sometimes get the impression that I am on a soapbox delivering a monologue, so your comments are welcome.